Marine Life

Marine Mammals

Marine mammals come in all shapes and sizes ranging from the blue whale which can measure up to 30m (98ft) and weigh 180 metric tonnes, to the sea otter which can grow up to 5ft in length and weigh 70lbs. As with size, lifespan also varies hugely but the bowhead whale is thought to live past 200 years! Due to the variety of creatures in this group they can be found worldwide in open oceans and surface waters. The gray whale migrates more than 10,000 miles each year, the longest migration of any mammal

Where to see Marine Mammals

Mammals are a special group of animals with a combination of
characteristics that separate them from all others: mammals are
warm-blooded, have hair or fur, breathe air through lungs, bear
live young, and nurse their young with milk produced by mammary
glands.

Marine mammals have the same characteristics as all other
mammals, but have adapted to living all or part of their life in
the ocean. To keep warm in the ocean, most of them depend on a
thick layer of blubber (or fat - like many humans!). They have
streamlined bodies to help them swim faster. To be able to stay
under water for long periods, they store extra oxygen in their
muscles and blood but they do have to surface occasionally unlike
their fishy friends. They also have more blood than land mammals in
proportion to their body sizes, can direct their blood flow to only
their vital organs (such as their heart and lungs), and can slow
their heartbeat down so they are using less oxygen in a dive.

For those looking to swim or dive with some of the largest
creatures in the oceans, there are some 120 varieties of
ocean-dwelling mammal or ones that depend on the ocean for food
with five main groups: pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, fur seals, and
walruses), cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), sea otters,
sirenians (dugongs and manatees), and polar bears. Probably of most
interest to divers and non-divers alike are the cetacean species
and encounters with these in our oceans are experiences never to be
forgotten.

Crystalline turquoise waters, pure white sand, swaying palms, cobalt blue sky… add to all this the colourful and exotic culture of the Polynesians, plus a twist of French, and you have something truly special.

The main islet of Tikehau isn’t much to look at – it’s a remote coral atoll whose flat surface never rises more than a few inches above sea level. But don’t be fooled by appearances: it’s worth coming here for the diving alone. What’s more, just a 15-minute boat ride away is the small private motu that is home to the luxurious Pearl Beach Resort.

Raja Ampat just happens to sit right on the bullseye of the Coral Triangle, which is the area of highest marine biodiversity on earth. With more species of fish and coral than anywhere else on our planet, the diving here is jaw-dropping.

Off the western coast of Thailand, a group of islands called the Similans are home to the very best diving that can be found in Thailand. Here you can find whale sharks, mantas and other large pelagics.